By: Rizal Arifin *
Refusing weak countries by implementing system reform and law enforcement that are corruption-free, dignified, and trusted. This firm and straightforward sentence is one of the priority agenda of the Jokowi-JK Government known as Nawacita. There is nothing special, indeed that is the proper task. But for its predecessors, this is often overlooked. Either because of the complexity of the responsibility of a head of state or for other reasons.
The state must not be weak, corruption must be eliminated immediately, and national ideals may be realized. However, it cannot be denied that various obstacles always haunt. Watering hard water against a KPK investigator is one of them. Famous investigators from esteemed institutions save a lot of state losses. For the case, polemics arose and various speculations accompanied.
The police moved quickly, various information and evidence were immediately collected. The precautionary principle is always put forward so as not to cause new polemics. This attack on the state apparatus, must be immediately resolved so as not to hamper public service. Throughout its journey, the Police have always opened the widest public space in investigating this case. It doesn’t matter with the many negative views expressed by those who want to play in this case.
On January 8, 2019 the Indonesian National Police Chief Gen. Tito Karnavian formed a Joint Fact Finding Team (TGPF) to thoroughly investigate the case of watering hard against the KPK investigators. The team consisting of various elements who have competence in the field of inquiry is expected to be able to meet the light of the case. There are high-ranking police officers, experts, and KPK representatives. The composition of the team is based on the responsibilities they will complete. Deliberately did not involve professionals and community leaders because they did not have investigative expertise.
Not always good will will be considered good. TGPF was criticized too much, even by the victims themselves. Novel Baswean’s lawyer, Al Ghifari, revealed that he hoped the team would be formed by the President with a balanced composition, from the police, experts, and professionals. A team like this will definitely help the police, moreover some of the actors involved are thought to have come from the police.
This is an accusation without facts that cannot be accounted for. The lawyer should support the hard work of the police in the case of his client. Instead it cornered the police who were working hard to investigate. In order not to become a hot ball, the Head of the Public Relations Division of the Indonesian Police Headquarters, Inspector General Muhammad Iqbal, denied the accusation, “The team needs people who understand the technical investigation, not a mere representation of the police, cannot be equated with TGPF Munir. TGPF Munir did not work technically and consisted of community leaders, but were they able to investigate, analyze CCTV, etc.? “
Isn’t this the first request from Novel Baswedan to be formed by TGPF. If it has been formed and its composition and investigation techniques also dictate the police, this example is not good, forcing all of his wishes to comply. The police with a neat calculation decided all this. Do not want any party that is not competent but raises speculation that contains anxiety. Instead, it will distance itself from the light of this case.
On the other hand, President Jokowi denied that the formation of the TGPF in the case of the Baswedan Novel attack was carried out in anticipation of the presidential election debate with the theme of law, corruption, human rights and terrorism that took place yesterday. The accusation arose because TGPF’s Baswedan novel was only formed, even though the attack on the novel took place on April 11, 2017. He explained that the National Human Rights Commission recommended to the National Police to form a joint team consisting of police, KPK, and experts. The task of the President is only overseeing.
The same thing was also conveyed by the Chairman of the Indonesian Parliament Bambang Soesatyo. He did not agree on the assumption that the TGPF Novel Baswedan was associated with political matters. We should fully support the police’s decisive steps to uncover this case. Don’t fuss over things that interfere with the investigation process. Or perhaps there are parties who do not want the police to uncover this case, perhaps so that the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla Government is considered unable to solve the Novel case. Everything certainly hopes that the case of the Novel will immediately meet its path. Let us submit the investigation of this case to those who are competent in their fields.
* The author is a Democracy Activist